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The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released comprehensive guidelines to enhance safety in road tunnel projects, mandating the use of Geological Survey of India (GSI) maps and landslide susceptibility studies during alignment planning. The norms emphasise structural stability, groundwater management, seismic resilience, and clarity in contract provisions to prevent disputes and reduce the risk of tunnel collapses.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a fresh set of guidelines aimed at strengthening safety protocols and engineering standards for tunnel construction across the country. The ministry has stated that during the alignment survey stage, project authorities must consult geological maps as well as the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping published by the Geological Survey of India. This requirement, the ministry indicated, is essential for assessing terrain suitability and reducing the risk of structural failures during excavation and construction. Advertisement
The guidelines underline the need for greater clarity in contractual arrangements. MoRTH has noted that all key aspects—such as contract milestones, scheduling requirements, provisions for variations, risk-sharing mechanisms and force majeure conditions—must be addressed explicitly to minimise ambiguities. According to the ministry, such clarity would help prevent disputes during execution and ensure smoother project delivery.
On the technical front, the document stresses that tunnel geometry must be evaluated not only to meet spatial requirements but also to ensure long-term structural stability. The ministry has highlighted that effective groundwater management is critical, stating that designs must incorporate robust drainage and waterproofing systems to protect the structure throughout its lifecycle.
For regions with seismic vulnerability, the guidelines mandate that tunnel designs account for stresses and deformation arising from earthquakes. The ministry has also specified that the agency responsible for tunnel construction, owing to its technical expertise, should play a supporting role during rescue operations alongside specialised bodies such as the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Forces and district disaster management authorities.
These directives follow several incidents of tunnel collapses during ongoing construction in recent years, which have led to worker entrapments and fatalities. One of the most significant events took place in November 2023, when 41 workers were trapped after a section of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed. They were rescued after more than two weeks of coordinated operations.
Source - PTI
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